Carbon Capture and Storage Means a Green Future for the North East

In welcome news for the North East, Ed Miliband cited Teesside amongst only three other named locations as a suitable site for a new carbon capture and storage cluster. Whilst there was good news for other sites, most notably Northumberland, when he said that he was not ruling out other locations.

This is a great regional opportunity for the North East with studies suggesting that carbon abatement technologies could sustain 50,000 jobs by 2030.

Carbon Capture and storage would trap CO2, transporting it and locking it permanently underground in a place such as the North Sea, thus reducing emissions by 90%. This technology has a significant part to play in helping us achieve our 2020 CO2 reduction targets.

There is currently a competition underway for the first end-to-end demonstration in the world, covering capture, transport and storage. Yesterday’s budget provides funding for up to three more and the government wants them to be a mixture of pre and post-combustion.

This came in addition to the announcement from the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling, who in yesterday’s budget provided further support for the offshore wind industry. This was welcomed in Tyneside where there are developed plans for thousands of ‘green’ jobs in the establishment of a new manufacturing centre on the north bank of the River Tyne.

Nick Brown MP said: “This is welcome news. It reaffirms the North East’s position at the heart of leading the drive for green technology and low carbon electricity generation.

“We have a scheme which is well advanced and has the advantage of being next door to the North Sea where the capture and storage would take place.”